


Ten Years Later

by SprucePines



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M, Incest, Past Underage, Sibling Incest, Twincest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 07:58:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6186700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SprucePines/pseuds/SprucePines
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The twins have drifted apart. Years later, they encounter each other at a family reunion and memories are dredged up that they must contend with. (Technically incomplete, though the second chapter ends on an upbeat enough note)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I really wish you’d come up, Dipper.”

“I know, Mom. It’s just…I always feel so out of place at family reunions. Especially around Mabel.”

“What in the world happened with the two of you? You used to be inseparable; now you won’t be caught dead in the same room together.”

“I really don’t want to get into that, Mom.”

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. “Okay, Dipper. Well, Mabel said she’s probably not going to make it up anyway.”

“She won’t?”

“No, she said she might be too busy with school work. It’d be nice to see at least one of my two children come.”

“Okay, Mom. I’ll be there.”

*********

_Why did I agree to this?_ He’d been asking himself that question every few minutes since he’d gotten there. He’d been asked the same questions over and over by each relative. How’s school? How’s work? Are you seeing anyone?

That last question really drove him up the wall. His parents asking was one thing, but it really wasn’t anyone else’s business. At least Mabel wasn’t there to—

“Make way for the Mabel train! Woo-woo!”

Dipper winced. Of course she would decide to come in the end. He should have anticipated this. And now the last person he wanted to see was right there, all smiles. As if what happened nearly ten years ago had never happened.

_The night was abnormally cold, even for Oregon. It hadn’t surprised him that his sister was feeling cold and had asked to share his bed. He was happy to welcome her. What had surprised him was how his body reacted to huddling up close to her._

_“Dipper?” she had asked softly. “What’s that?” Without waiting for an answer, she reached around between them and blindly gripped Dipper through his shorts. He gasped at being groped and she immediately jerked her hand away. “Sorry.”_

_“It-it’s alright,” he replied._

_“What’s making it do that?”_

_“I’m not sure.” He hesitated a moment before continuing. “It usually only happens when I’m thinking about Wendy.”_

_There was a protracted silence before Mabel spoke again. “Can…can I see it?”_

_“What?” he asked, incredulous._

_“I just want to know what it looks like.” She paused again, letting her words hang there. “So…can I?”_

_Dipper wasn’t sure what possessed him to do so, but slowly and silently, he pushed the comforter down and turned on the lamp. Mabel sat on her knees and watched as he pushed his shorts down his legs, revealing his young manhood. He watched as Mabel stared at it in silence. The only things telling him that time hadn’t frozen was the sound of the wind outside and the beating of his heart, the latter causing his penis to twitch with each thump._

_Without warning, her hand wrapped itself around him. He jerked in surprise, but Mabel held her grip. She slid her hand up and down a few times, drawing a moan from her twin._

_“Mabel,” he grunted, “what are you doing?”_

_“Exactly what it looks like. I’ve seen you do this enough times in the dark when you thought I was asleep.”_

_Her free hand suddenly took one of his by the wrist and pulled it towards her legs. She lifted up the hem of her nightshirt and slipped his fingers underneath the elastic of her panties. She held his hand in place and worked his fingers around her soft flesh. His middle finger brushed against a hardened bump and Mabel flinched. She continued to maneuver his fingers for a few moments until he understood and continued on his own. Her hips began to slowly gyrate as she sped up her stroking._

_Dipper could do nothing but close his eyes as pleasure washed over him. This was his first time with someone else. But this was his twin sister. It was just so wrong!_

_Before Dipper could voice his concerns, he felt his groin tighten and he began to spasm in Mabel’s hand. A few moments later, he felt her tense up gasping for breath. He took that as his cue to stop rubbing. Long seconds later, he opened his eyes to see her looking at the sticky mess coating her fingers. Mortified, he grabbed a wad of tissues and wiped himself off before handing the box to his sister._

_Once he had gotten his shorts pulled back up, he turned the light back off and laid back down, making a point to face away from Mabel. They had crossed a line, and he wasn’t at all sure how to proceed._

And now she was right in front of him, smiling at him.

“Dipper!” she exclaimed. “It’s been so long!”

He chuckled nervously. “Eh, heh, it has,” he answered. “How, uh, how’ve you been?”

“Same old, same old. I can’t really complain. I heard you got your degree. Congratulations! What’s next for you?”

He shrugged, looking at his feet. “Hadn’t really decided yet. What about you?”

“You’re looking at the new receptionist for Oldman, Boldman, and Frank. That’s why I almost didn’t make it. I was scheduled today, but someone volunteered to take my shift, so…here I am.” She glanced to the side before leaning in conspiratorially. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“I…guess?”

“I’m only asking this because Mom asked me to, so don’t shoot the messenger, alright?”

He forced a smirk. “No promises.”

“Ha ha,” she said dryly. “Anyway, she’s been curious if you’ve been seeing anybody.”

His throat clenched.

_“Why are you being such a poophead, Dipper?”_

_“I just, I don’t like the guy.”_

_“What’re you talking about? He’s a great guy! He’s cute, he’s funny, Mom and Dad love him. Why can’t you?”_

_“There’s only one word that comes to my mind when I think of Gerry, and it’s neither ‘cute’ nor ‘funny.’”_

_She put her hands on her hips. “Oh? And just what word would you say describes him?”_

_He grimaced as his mind wrestled with saying it out loud. “’Douche,’ alright? He’s a douche.”_

_Mabel gaped at him. “I don’t believe you. He tries to be friends with you and you call him a douche? Well, you’re right that someone’s being a douche, and I’m looking right at him!” She stomped past him, slamming the door shut behind her. Dipper stood there, wishing that he’d just kept his damn mouth shut._

“I told her it’s your business,” she said, “but she insisted. You know Mom.”

He sighed. “No, I’m not seeing anyone. And because I can guess what she’d have to say after that, yes, I would tell her if I was seeing a guy.”

Mabel giggled and he felt the butterflies in his stomach begin to come out of hibernation. “I didn’t know you swung that way, broseph.”

He laughed, despite himself. “I don’t. At least, I don’t think I do. But you know Mom.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah.”

Dipper inhaled and caught a whiff of her perfume. Still wearing the same brand as always. It fills his nostrils, overpowering his senses. She looks into his eyes. Even now, he fears getting lost in them.

_“Dipper, don’t you think your sister looks beautiful?”_

_He gave Mabel a cursory glance; it was all he dared to risk. “Yeah,” he said, “you look great, Mabel.” Inside, though, he thought she was drop dead gorgeous. Not that he could actually say so._

_Her dress was a shimmering blaze of red, hugging close to her body exactly where it counted. He felt his body begin to betray him, but was saved by a knock on the door. He stood, a bit too quickly, and crossed to open the door, revealing Gerry, sporting the same insufferable grin that he always had. One that drove Dipper nuts._

_“Dipper,” he said, “how are you?”_

_Dipper coughed. “Fine. It’s actually time I went to collect my date.” He brushed past Gerry, fishing his keys out of his pocket._

_“Do you want to carpool?” Gerry asked. “I don’t mind.”_

_God, no, he thought. Not in the same car, not in that dress. “Nah, I’m good,” he actually said. “But…y’know, thanks for offering.”_

_He was halfway down the walk when he heard her too sweet voice. “Dipper?” Screwing up his courage, he managed to look at her. He saw…what? Anger? Upset? Longing? Maybe all of those things?_

_“My opinion hasn’t changed, Mabel,” he said before turning on shaky legs, barely hearing his sister sniffle from the door. He had to fight to keep hold of his key as he went to unlock his door. Starting the engine, he backed out of the drive, pushing the sight of his sister out of his mind._

The air around him suddenly felt much thicker and heavier. Even breathing felt like a chore. He’d made a serious mistake; he needed to get out of there.

“Excuse me,” he said, making a beeline for the door. “I just need some air.” He tried to ignore the stares he was receiving, his eyes squarely on the door. He pushed through and kept walking down the sidewalk.

He hadn’t bothered to check how long he’d been walking. All he knew was that when he finally looked up, the sun was touching the horizon. He glanced around, recognizing a neighborhood more than five miles from his parents’ house.

From behind him, he heard the blare of a car horn. He whirled around to see a beat up Dodge pull up next to him. Bending down to peer in the window, he saw Mabel looking back at him. Before he could think to turn and continue walking, she rolled the window down.

“So here’s where you ended up,” she said. “Mom was getting worried.”

“Hmph. When isn’t she? Well, you found me, so you can tell her I’m fine.” He resumed his walk, only for Mabel to keep pace with him.

“Hop in.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“And I said hop in. We need to talk.”

_He watched her slam the trunk of her car shut, heaving a sigh of relief. “That’s the last of it,” she said. She turned to look at him and their parents. This was it. The next big step. College. Moving away._

_Mabel walked up to their mom and dad and wrapped them both in a hug. Dipper heard them mumble the usual things: be careful on the road, watch out for the other drivers, call us when you get to your dorm, etc. She withdrew and turned to face him._ Oh no, _he thought. She held open her arms. “Bring it in, Dipster. Hug train’s comin’ in the station!”_

_He knew he couldn’t outright refuse in front of their parents. Reluctantly, he approached Mabel, allowing her to curl her arms around him, though he kept his own arms at his sides. After a moment, he felt her posture shift subtly. Almost as if she were…deflating. She released him and stood back. She turned away from him as quickly as she could, but there was no mistaking the look of hurt on her face. He suddenly regretted his decision, but knew he had to live with it now. She said her last good-byes before climbing into the driver’s seat and driving away._

_Away from him._

Dipper barely paid any attention to where Mabel was driving, assuming she was just taking him home. When he heard the engine cut off and he looked up, he was surprised to find that she had driven them out of the city limits and to a small gravel lot perched atop an outcropping of rock overlooking the city. He’d never actually been out this way, but he knew exactly where she’d brought him: Makeout Point.

“Why did you bring me out here to talk?”

“Uh, because it’s private. Duh.”

He sank a bit deeper in his seat. “Yeah, I’m sure you know all about that.”

She glared across at him. “And just what is _that_ supposed to mean? That I’m easy? You want to know how many guys brought me out here or took me home with them or anything like that?”

Dipper stared sullenly out the windshield.

“One,” Mabel said. Dipper was not expecting that. He slowly turned to look at his twin. Her face was a mixture of hurt and anger. “And you know what? Nothing happened.”

“What?”

Mabel sat back in her seat, sinking into her reverie. “Oh, we tried. And I wanted it. But when he went to make a move, all I could think about was us that one night in the attic.”

“You…you did?”

She looked at him, her eyes glistening. “You think it’s been easy for me, Dipper, knowing what we did? What _I_ did. You didn’t ask for it. I kept hoping you didn’t hate me for taking advantage of you like that. Not that I didn’t blame you. I’d hate me, too. But I could never find the right way to apologize.” She turned and stared wistfully out the front of the car. “The way you kept avoiding me, I eventually just gave up.”

“Mabel, I never hated you.”

“You didn’t?”

He shook his head. “No. But I couldn’t deal with what happened either. I couldn’t keep you out of my head.”

She wiped her eyes. “I guess we both really ‘Grunkled’ things up, didn’t we, bro?”

He chuckled. “Yeah. I suppose we did.”

They turned to look out over the city, neither of them speaking for several moments. “So,” Mabel finally said, “where do we go from here?”

“I don’t know,” Dipper admitted. “Maybe we could get together sometime soon…and talk it through. Figure out just where everything lies. And we can go from there.”

She nodded. “I’d like that. Before we go back home, though, there’s one thing I’d like to do.”

“What’s that?”

“Just something I wish I had done ten years ago.”

Dipper turned to look at Mabel. Swallowing, he nodded his head. She leaned towards him, and gently kissed his cheek. His skin tingled from the contact and his pulse sped up. She sat back and looked at him with a tiny smile. He smiled back, knowing that, somehow, everything would work out.


	2. Mending Broken Bridges

He never realized how much he missed her smile. Looking at her from across the table, it was as if nothing had changed. Mabel was still her bubbly, exuberant self. He sat silent as she rattled off their pizza order to their server, grinning at his bemused expression as Mabel described the pizza she wanted. He gave them both a nervous grin, more out of courtesy than comprehension, and turned towards the kitchen.

“Think you gave him a weird enough order?” Dipper asked.

“It’s what I always get,” Mabel replied.

“You asked for a mass of extra cheese molded in the shape of Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, and for the sausages and pepperonis to be made up like little UFOs.” He smiled at the absurdity of the request.

“He’s new. Just wait a few seconds.”

Deciding to humor his twin, he sat in silence a few moments when there came a loud cry of “MABEL!” from the kitchen. A mustachioed, barrel-chested man came lumbering out and towards their booth, two cups of soda in his hands.

Mabel greeted him with a smile and a wave. “Hi, Nico.”

“I was just talking about you. I was telling Marcy that I hadn’t seen you here last week, and here you are!” He placed the cups before the twins. “ _Parli del diavolo e spuntano le_ _corna, sì?_ ”

“Sorry about that. I was visiting my brother back in California.”

Nico turned his attention to Dipper. “Ah, is this him here?” He extended a large hand, which Dipper cautiously took. Nico’s grip reminded him of the manotaurs. For that matter, so did the mustache. “A pleasure to finally meet you, Dipper. Your sister has talked much of you.”

“She did?” he asked. “All good, I hope?”

“ _Certamente!_ She has told me much of your vacations in Oregon, working for your great uncle. I ask her many times if you would be visiting, but always she said no. I am happy to see you here at last.” A gleam came to Nico’s eyes as he thought of something. “In fact, to celebrate, your meal is on the house.”

“Oh, Nico,” Mabel said, appearing nearly panic-stricken all of a sudden. She made to rise from her seat. “We can’t ask you to do that.”

A hand on her shoulder stopped her dead and gently pushed her back down. “Asking? Who is asking? This is my business; I make the decisions. And today, I decide you two eat for free.” Before she could raise another objection, he turned and strode back to the kitchen.

Dipper chuckled. “Well, I take back my comment on the pizza. The owner’s certainly friendly.”

Mabel grimaced as she turned to face him. “There’s actually a bit of a story to that.”

“Oh?”

“I had been coming in fairly regularly for several weeks. One day, Nico came up to me and thanked me for eating here so often. Then out of nowhere, he asked me if I wanted to go on a date with his son.”

Dipper nearly spat out a gulp of soda. “Serious?” Mabel nodded. Dipper felt a flush of anger. “What did you say?”

“I was so surprised, I couldn’t think of anything. Then he waves his son, Angelo, over so I could meet him. He was…” She trailed off, staring off into space.

“Homely?” Dipper suggested, hoping for something to salve his emotions. Mabel shook her head as she came out of her trance.

“Far from it. He was _hot._ Like California heat wave kind of hot.”

Dipper laughed, though it sounded a tad hollow to his own ears. “So,” he said, struggling to maintain his composure, “I take it you said yes? Are we going to have another Gerry moment?”

Mabel stuck her tongue out at him. “No, silly britches, we are not. But yes. My friends were with me and they were all kinds of jealous. And…like I said… _fiiiiiiiine!_ So yeah, I said yes.”

“So what happened?”

“We went to a movie and then dinner at a nice restaurant. I had a good time, but he seemed uncomfortable the whole time. I thought he was just nervous. Y’know, like how you used to get when you were around Wendy.”

Dipper coughed, eliciting a giggle from his sister. “ _A_ nyway…” he prodded.

“Finally as we finished our meals he said, ‘Um, Mabel…I’m not sure how to tell you this. You’re a very lovely girl, and I know my father means well, but…there’s something he doesn’t know.’”

“He’s gay,” Dipper guessed.

Mabel tapped the side of her nose. “And he has a boyfriend. I was…well, I was bummed out. No use lying about that.” Dipper stifled a laugh, suddenly feeling worlds better. “But I let him know that I was cool with it and asked why he hadn’t come out to his father. He said he was afraid of how Nico might react, that he might throw him out of his house.”

“He seems good natured enough,” Dipper commented, casting a brief glance towards the door Nico had come through. “What happened?”

“I told him that I kinda knew how he felt.” Dipper turned back round to see his twin gazing directly into his eyes. “That I knew what it was like to keep your true feelings locked away, because you don’t know how everyone would take it.”

Dipper took a moment to digest what she said before gesturing for her to resume.

“After that, I sort of became his confidante. He asked me to be sort of his lookout, to watch Nico for some sign of how he would take the news. Because he wanted to come out, the sneaking around was getting to him. So I started coming in every few days, usually for a lunch slice, and as often as I could, I chatted with Nico. He, of course, kept pestering me about going on more dates with Angelo. And we did, though they became more like intelligence sharing meetings.

“A few weeks go by, and once again I’m here visiting with Nico. The booth next to me was taken up by a couple guys. Without meaning to, we both overheard a bit of their conversation. They were talking about plans to get together when one set of parents went away for the weekend. One of them said something about really missing the other. Without a word, Nico walked back to the kitchen.

“I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Less than a minute later, he comes back out with a double order of breadsticks and puts it on their table. ‘On the house,’ he said, then added in a low voice, ‘for the _innamorati._ ’ Then he leaned in close and told them if they needed someone to lend an ear, he was happy to oblige.

“So, of course I went to Angelo with this news, which he was happy to hear. He still hemmed and hawed a bit, though. Finally, on a day Angelo was working the floor, Nico came up to me to ask about our next date. I gave Angelo a look that said, ‘I think it’s high time you told him the truth.’”

Dipper smirked. “Probably more like, ‘This secret-keeping schtick is getting old. Tell him now or else.’”

“I like my way better. So anyway, Angelo managed to work up the courage and come out and that he had a boyfriend. Nico just stared at him for a moment before crying, ‘Why you wait so long to tell me this? Is he good looking? You invite him to supper. I want to meet the boy my son is dating.’”

The twins laughed. “So no problems?” Dipper asked.

“None. Nico had Angelo bring him by that night. From what Angelo told me later, he welcomed him to the family the moment he stepped through the door. Angelo had the biggest smile when he told me that.”

They were interrupted by the hollow clunk of plastic on the table top. They looked down to find a basket of breadsticks on the table, its deliverer standing beside them. Dipper looked up and gaped.

The young man beside them looked like was ripped from a fashion catalog. Well toned muscles strained the sleeves of a plain white t-shirt. Teeth more perfect than Mabel’s grinned through lush lips while deep brown eyes all but demanded attention. His flawless olive skin made Dipper wonder if it was airbrushed on.

“Hi, Angelo,” Mabel said.

“How are you, Mabel?” he asked, a faint Mediterranean accent to his voice. “I couldn’t help hearing you talk about me. Papa didn’t tell me the breadsticks were for you.” He turned to Dipper, who felt heat rise into his cheeks. Angelo’s eyes seemed to see into him and through him. At last, he turned back to Mabel. “ _E ‘questo lo?_ ”

“Yep. Angelo, this is my twin brother, Dipper. Dipper, meet Angelo.”

Dipper spoke, hoping in vain that his voice wouldn’t break. “Pl _eah_ \--“ He coughed, tossing a glare at his giggling sister. “Pleasure,” he said, trying to force his voice down an octave, to mask his earlier crack. He only partially succeeded. He extended a hand, which Angelo shook vigorously.

“The pleasure is all mine. It’s good to meet you. Your pizza should be ready in just a few minutes. Please, let me or Papa know if you need anything else.”

Dipper blinked as Angelo turned and walked away. “Questioning your sexuality there, Dippity-Do?”

He whirled back around, not realizing he had been staring. “I thought you were just embellishing. Holy cow. Isn’t it against some law to be that good looking?”

Mabel laughed. “Easy there, bro. I was only kidding about the sexuality thing.”

“Well, I told you at the reunion I didn’t _think_ I swung that way.” He turned his head back towards the kitchen. “I’m not so sure anymore.”

Mabel stared at the back of his head. A moment later, he turned back around to reveal his tongue sticking out at her. Realizing his joke, she reached across the table and playfully cuffed him on the arm.

“Oh, come on,” he protested. “Can’t I have a little fun teasing my favorite Mabel?”

She started. “Am…Am I still your favorite Mabel?”

He suddenly sobered up. “You’ve _always_ been my favorite Mabel.” He paused a moment. “Even when it didn’t seem like it.”

They both fell silent, the mirth lost. Mabel stared into her soda while Dipper batted around a bread crumb. “We probably ought to talk about it, huh?” she asked.

There was a brief silence, then, “Yeah. We probably should.”

“So…” She looked across the table. “Where do we start?”

Another silence, then he raised his eyes to look into hers. “The beginning. Ten years ago.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right. That’s where this whole crazy train went off the rails in the first place.” She reached for a breadstick, breaking it in half before biting into one piece.

Dipper swallowed the knot in his throat. “Why did you do it?”

Mabel sighed. “Partly curiosity. I mean, we went through sex ed in school and all, so I knew what things were and how they worked. But we were fourteen and I wasn’t any closer to having an epic romance than I was our first visit to Gravity Falls. And I had caught sight of you making like Bachman-Turner Overdrive more than once up in Grunkle Stan’s attic.”

Dipper blushed, imagining Mabel watching him as he rubbed one out. He covered his face in his hands, mortified.

“Even though you thought I was asleep, I always felt like you were sharing something special with me.” Dipper peeked through his fingers at his sister. “You spent so much time trying to be the protective brother, it was different seeing you so…vulnerable. And if I’m being completely honest, I developed a bit of a crush on you.”

He lowered his hands. “Really?”

“Well, you’re my baby brother—“

“By five minutes,” he interjected.

“Details, details. So that automatically makes you cute. But watching you in the dark like that made me start looking at you in a different, definitely not tame kind of way. The more I watched you and thought about you, I got to wondering what you thought about while you were…taking care of business. I figured Wendy was a given.” She grinned as she saw his face redden. “But I wondered if there was anyone else.”

Dipper took a deep breath. “You really want to know?” Mabel nodded, a sparkle coming to her eyes. “Well, you were right about Wendy; she definitely dominated my thoughts for part of that first summer. After the party at the Northwest mansion, I began to think about Pacifica. Candy and a few of the girls I chatted up on Grunkle Stan’s road trip.” His blush deepened. “Maybe Tyrone a few times…”

“Ooh,” Mabel said, “so scandalous!”

“Like you’re one to talk, Peeping Mabel?” He chuckled and she stuck her tongue out at him. “And even a couple of times before that night, you popped into my thoughts.”

That surprised Mabel. “I did?”

He nodded. “Remember when we went to the pool near the beginning of the next summer?” She didn’t seem to. “You brought along a bunch of messages in bottles for Mermando. You were wearing a two piece swimsuit that was drawing a lot of attention.”

“Oh, I remember now. Mr. Poolcheck yelled at me about it. I don’t know what he was all angry about; it covered all the important bits.”

“Maybe so, but on the body of a girl just entering puberty, it didn’t leave a lot to the imagination of a boy also entering puberty.”

They both laughed. “So…I got your fire going, huh?”

He nodded, blushing a bit. “And after that night, when we…you know…you started appearing in my thoughts a lot more often.”

Mabel cast her gaze to the tabletop. “Do you wish it hadn’t happened?”

He paused to think. “No, but I wish we had handled what happened afterward better. All I could think about was how it was wrong for us to do something like that. No matter what may have been going on in my fantasies, it just felt like a line that we shouldn’t have crossed. And I kind of resented you for it. I felt like you had pulled me over that line without my permission. But after a while, I realized that deep down, once I looked past all the red flags my brain was throwing at me, I had enjoyed it. I wondered if you felt the same way, if there could be something more between us. But…you were with Gerry by then.”

Mabel grimaced. “Missed opportunities. Story of our adolescence, right?”

Dipper nodded. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for calling him a douche, by the way.”

She chuckled, waving him off with a hand. “Don’t be. In the end, that’s exactly what he was. Remember the one guy who took me out to Makeout Point? It was Gerry. When I put on the brakes, he started to get all poopyheaded and called me a tease and a few other things I’d rather not repeat.”

“Do you need me to track him down and pay him a visit?”

“Oh, look at my knight in shining armor. Still the protective brother.” She laughed. “No, he went and knocked up some other girl shortly after. Her dad made them get married and they’ve got three kids now, and he’s stuck in some dead end retail job. I’d say karma’s already whupped him good.”

He laughed. “Still, though, at the time it really hurt you when I said it. Whether he really was a douche or not, hurting your feelings was uncalled for. And I’m really sorry for that.”

“And I’m sorry for not talking to you about that night sooner.”

He placed a hand on the table and gave her a tiny smile. “But we’re talking now.”

She returned his smile with one of her own. “So…we couldn’t keep each other out of our heads. Is that still the case?”

Dipper took a long drink from his soda, then nodded. “You?”

She reached her hand over the table and placed it atop his. “Yeah.”

From beside them, they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. They looked to see Angelo again, this time holding a pizza tray. He placed it on the table and Dipper snorted a laugh. As she requested, what looked like a solid chunk of mozzarella was positioned in the center of the pie. Around it were several pepperoni and sausage “UFOs.” Angelo gave them a look that confused Dipper, giving Mabel a tiny wink before turning and stepping away.

Letting the moment slide, Dipper regarded the pizza. “I’m glad you didn’t ask for little anchovy aliens.”

Mabel pulled a face. “Ewww, anchovies? No thank you.” Chuckling, they each reached for their first slices, letting the hunk of cheese stay sitting in the middle, threatening to topple like a Jenga game.

“So,” he said, “where do we go from here?”

Mabel took a bite from her slice, stretching the cheese out as she pulled it away from her lips. “Well,” she said, her mouth somewhat full, “I know what I’d like to do. I’d like to keep seeing you. Not just visits, but more like this.” She gestured with her chin to the restaurant. “Kind of like a date.”

Dipper grinned. Looking down, he saw her hand still resting atop his. “Kind of like a date?” he asked, turning his hand around to sit palm up. He closed his fingers around her hand. “Or, how about an actual date?”

Mabel smiled, picking up her glass of soda. “To us?”

He took his own soda in hand. “To us.”

They brought their cups together, the plastic making a flat clunk sound. Giggling, the twins put their drinks down and dug into their meal.


End file.
